Harber Carpentry & Restoration – Historic Timber Framing & Heritage Repairs

Harber Carpentry & Restoration is a specialist traditional carpentry and historic building restoration business based in Brome, near Eye in Suffolk. Founded by Oliver Harber, the practice undertakes sympathetic repair and conservation of timber-framed buildings, listed cottages, barns and other period properties across East Anglia.

With more than 12 years of experience, the business combines traditional oak framing, structural timber repairs and bespoke joinery with lime plastering, traditional window and door restoration, historic masonry repairs and conservation-sensitive improvements. Its approach centres on retaining original building fabric wherever practicable, selecting compatible materials and understanding the way older buildings were originally constructed.

Traditional Carpentry and Historic Timber Frame Conservation

Historic oak and timber-framed buildings require a repair approach appropriate to their original structure, joinery and movement. Harber Carpentry & Restoration undertakes careful repairs to load-bearing frames, posts, studs, braces and beams, including structures affected by moisture, decay, previous incompatible alterations or localised settlement.

Rather than automatically replacing whole structural members, the business considers localised repairs and the retention of sound original timber. New timber is selected and worked to suit the existing frame, with traditional joints and hand finishes used where appropriate.

Timber conservation services include:

• Historic timber frame surveys and repair assessment within the contractor's scope.
• Oak beam repairs and localised structural timber replacement.
• Traditional scarf-joint repairs and timber splicing.
• English oak sole plate repair and replacement.
• Repair of corner posts, studs, braces and other frame members.
• Traditional mortise-and-tenon joints and oak pegging.
• Timber frame stabilisation and repairs to historic barns.
• Conservation-sensitive timber repairs to listed and period buildings.

Where structural engineering advice or listed building consent is required, repair proposals should be coordinated with suitably qualified advisers and the relevant statutory authorities.

Listed Building and Period Property Restoration

Harber Carpentry & Restoration works on listed buildings, historic cottages, traditional agricultural buildings and period structures that call for a combination of specialist crafts. Particular attention is paid to existing materials, original construction details, and the consequences of earlier repairs or alterations.

Common issues include concealed timber decay, damaged window joinery, failed render, inappropriate cement pointing, cracking and moisture accumulation. On traditional buildings these problems are often linked: a defect in one material can accelerate deterioration in adjacent timber, masonry or plaster.

Repair strategies therefore seek to address the cause of deterioration alongside the visible damage, retaining historic material where it remains serviceable. Proposals affecting the special interest of listed buildings may require listed building consent before works commence.

Traditional Lime Plastering and Lime Rendering

Traditional lime plasters and renders can accommodate movement and permit moisture transfer within older solid-wall and timber-framed structures. Harber provides internal lime plastering and external lime rendering for period homes, listed buildings and historic masonry.

Lime-based work includes:

• Internal lime putty plastering and appropriate hydraulic lime systems.
• External traditional lime rendering.
• Repairs to cracked, loose or deteriorated historic plaster.
• Careful replacement of inappropriate cement-based finishes.
• Multi-coat lime plaster applications and traditional finishing coats.
• Limewash and other breathable finishes, where suitable.
• Plastering associated with traditional timber-frame infill panels.
• Plaster applied to riven oak laths and appropriate historic substrates.

Material choice depends on the age and condition of the building, wall construction, exposure, moisture conditions and existing fabric. The aim is a compatible repair rather than the indiscriminate application of a standard modern product.

Historic Timber Window and Door Restoration

Traditional windows and doors contribute significantly to the appearance and significance of historic buildings. Harber repairs timber sash and casement windows, window frames, cills, glazing bars and other original joinery, giving preference to repair and retention where feasible.

Its published window services include decayed timber replacement, localised frame splicing, window cill repair, sash and casement restoration, draught reduction measures and resin-based repairs where appropriate to the individual case.

The business also describes specialist repairs to traditional leaded lights, including historic glass retention, lead came repairs and re-leading where required. Work on original steel windows may include corrosion treatment, adjustments and localised metal repairs.

Repair specifications should respect historic glazing, existing joinery profiles, opening mechanisms and any relevant listed building restrictions.

Hand-Crafted Joinery and Architectural Timber Details

Harber designs and manufactures bespoke joinery to complement traditional and period buildings. Its work includes individually crafted doors, windows, mouldings, architectural timber details and other timber components made to match existing profiles and proportions.

Decorative oak mouldings found on historic jetty beams, floor joists and spine beams can be carefully measured and recreated. Where suitable, well-seasoned or air-dried oak is worked using traditional methods, with detailed profiles refined by hand.

Rather than heavily sanding away the evidence of craftsmanship, the company can retain subtle hand-tool marks to achieve a finish compatible with historic oak surfaces. This approach is particularly appropriate when inserting new timber into a building where texture and traditional workmanship form part of its significance.

Historic Brickwork, Flint and Stone Conservation

Beyond carpentry, the practice undertakes repairs to traditional brick, flint and stone masonry, including elements associated with timber-framed and solid-wall buildings.

Traditional masonry services include:

• Repair and sympathetic replacement of historic bricks.
• Use of appropriately matched handmade or soft red bricks.
• Lime mortar repointing and replacement of failed joints.
• Traditional flint wall repairs, selection and knapping.
• Repairs to historic boundary walls and church masonry.
• Natural stone repairs to cills, lintels and architectural features.
• Traditional clay lump wall repair and associated lime finishes.
• Correction of selected incompatible cement-based repairs.

Attention is given to the physical and visual compatibility of new materials with the original masonry. Lime mortar composition, brick characteristics and stone selection should be appropriate to the condition, construction and exposure of the building.

Clay Lump Buildings and Traditional East Anglian Construction

East Anglia has a distinctive heritage of timber framing, flint, soft red brick and clay lump construction. These buildings can be vulnerable to trapped moisture and inappropriate modern coatings, particularly where cement render prevents evaporation from traditionally constructed walls.

Harber undertakes traditional repair and lime rendering work on clay lump and related structures. Its documented work at Mendlesham includes removing failing cement render from a clay lump wall and applying a compatible lime-based replacement system.

Careful treatment of these materials can help retain both the integrity of traditional construction and the characteristic appearance of East Anglian vernacular buildings.

Bespoke Oak Frames and New Timber Structures

Alongside conservation repairs, Harber designs and constructs new oak-framed structures using traditional carpentry methods. Such work may include oak porches, pergolas, garden rooms, garages, extensions and freestanding timber structures.

The design of each frame considers the intended use, surrounding architecture and visual character of the property. Mortise-and-tenon construction, oak pegs and hand-worked finishes may be used where suitable to create robust structures informed by traditional craftsmanship.

For extensions or new features to period buildings, the design should distinguish between original historic fabric and new work while respecting the proportions and significance of the existing building.

Selected Heritage and Traditional Building Projects

The company's published portfolio includes the following examples of traditional building repair and oak carpentry:

• Yaxley, Suffolk: replacement of a decayed sole plate, studs and brace within a sixteenth-century stable block, using traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery.
• Parham, Suffolk: repairs to a sixteenth-century close-studded gable after the discovery of extensive deterioration concealed behind later cement-based work.
• Occold, Suffolk: historic timber frame repairs to an end-terrace cottage, using new English oak for deteriorated components.
• Mendlesham, Suffolk: timber frame repairs, removal of defective cement render and traditional lime rendering; separate clay lump wall repairs.
• Hopton, Suffolk: lime mortar repointing to the parapet wall of All Saints Church.
• Hoxne, Suffolk: restoration and maintenance of traditional timber windows.
• Stansfield, Suffolk: construction of a bespoke green-oak pergola designed for its garden setting.

These examples illustrate the company's principal specialisms rather than representing an exhaustive project list.

Conservation Approach and Retention of Historic Fabric

The continued use of historic buildings depends on understanding how their materials and structures behave. Traditional timber, clay, lime and masonry may respond poorly to impermeable coatings, unsuitable hard mortars or excessive replacement of sound original elements.

Harber's approach emphasises investigating the condition of the existing building, retaining historic components where feasible and applying appropriately compatible repair materials and techniques.

Targeted repairs may avoid unnecessary removal of original material and reduce the quantity of new timber and masonry required. Where suitable, this also supports the broader environmental value of repairing and reusing existing buildings rather than replacing them.

For sensitive or complex projects, the final approach should be informed by the relevant conservation architect, structural engineer, surveyor or heritage authority.

Areas Covered

Based near Eye in Suffolk, Harber Carpentry & Restoration serves much of Suffolk and Norfolk, alongside parts of eastern Cambridgeshire and northern Essex. Its principal operating area is around 30 miles from Brome, with work elsewhere considered according to project requirements.

Locations mentioned in the company's project information and service coverage include Eye, Diss, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Norwich, Hoxne, Occold, Mendlesham, Parham, Yaxley and Hopton.

Contact Harber Carpentry & Restoration

For historic timber-frame repairs, traditional oak carpentry, listed building conservation, lime rendering, window restoration or bespoke oak structures, contact the business to discuss the building and proposed works.

Contact: Oliver Harber
Telephone: 07934 007 616
Email: harbercarpentry@gmail.com
Website: www.harber-carpentry-restoration.co.uk
Base: Brome, Eye, Suffolk, IP23 8AG